All Chapters of THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET BRIDE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

‘’Your mother’s company will be seized tomorrow morning.” For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I stared across the polished desk at the bank manager, waiting for him to smile and tell me he was joking. He didn’t. Instead, he folded his hands in front of him and looked at me with the kind of pity I hated. “There has to be another option,” I said. “We have already extended the deadline twice, Miss Reyes.” “I can pay something today.” “It isn’t enough.” “How much time do I have?” He glanced at the documents in front of him. “Until nine tomorrow morning.” My stomach dropped. Tomorrow. I looked through the glass wall of his office at the city outside. People were walking along the pavement, carrying coffee, talking on their phones, living ordinary lives. Meanwhile, mine was about to fall apart. My mother had spent twenty years building Reyes Maison from nothing. Every piece of furniture in the showroom had been chosen by her. Every client relationship had b

I woke up married. Technically, the wedding wasn’t until noon. But the moment I opened my eyes, I knew my life had already changed. My wedding dress was hanging beside the window. White. Elegant. Expensive. And completely wrong for the woman I had been yesterday. I stared at it for several seconds. Then my phone rang. “Miss Reyes?” “Yes?” “This is Adrian Blackwood’s assistant. Mr. Blackwood would like to remind you that the car will arrive at eleven.” “I know.” There was a pause. “And Miss Reyes?” “What?” “You should know that the press will be there.” I closed my eyes. Of course. Adrian Blackwood didn’t do anything quietly. “Thank you.” I ended the call. My wedding. My fake marriage. My husband’s name was on every business magazine in the country. And by tonight, my face would probably be everywhere too. I looked at my mother’s photograph on the bedside table. She was smiling. I picked it up. “I hope I’m not making a huge mis

I didn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph of my mother in Adrian’s hands. Why did he have it? Why had he lied? And why had he looked at me like he was carrying a secret that could destroy us both? At three in the morning, I finally gave up. I slipped out of bed and walked downstairs. The mansion was completely silent. I found the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. “You’re awake.” I nearly dropped it. Adrian stood in the doorway. He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. No jacket. No tie. He looked less like a billionaire and more like a man who hadn’t slept either. “I couldn’t sleep.” “I noticed.” I frowned. “How?” “You walk loudly when you’re angry.” I stared at him. “Do you monitor everyone in this house?” “Only you.” The answer caught me off guard. I looked away. “Why?” He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked to the counter and poured himself a glass of water. “You shou

Chapter 7: The Lie“ELENA, DON’T!”I froze.The envelope was still in my hand.Adrian’s voice echoed through the corridor.Then silence.I looked down at the envelope.My name was written across it in black ink.Whoever had left it knew exactly who I was.And Adrian clearly knew what was inside.“Don’t open it.”He appeared in the doorway.His breathing was heavy.His suit jacket was slightly torn near the shoulder.There was a small cut above his eyebrow.I stared at him.“What happened?”“Nothing.”“You’re bleeding.”“It’s not serious.”“Where is your mother?”“She’s safe.”“Where?”“I sent her somewhere secure.”I looked at the envelope.“Who left this?”“I don’t know.”“You’re lying.”His jaw tightened.“Give it to me.”“No.”“Elena.”“You don’t get to keep secrets from me anymore.”He stepped closer.“Give me the envelope.”I held it behind my back.“What is inside?”“I don’t know.”“You just shouted at me not to open it.”“Because I don’t know who left it.”“That doesn’t answer

My mother’s name hung in the air like a threat. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. For years, I had believed I knew my mother. She had been the strongest woman I had ever known. Even when the company struggled, she never complained. Even when people walked away, she kept going. And even when she became sick, she never let me see how afraid she was. She had never told me about Adrian’s family. She had never mentioned Victoria. She had never mentioned a murder. Yet Victoria was standing in front of me, telling me that my mother had witnessed the death of Adrian’s father. I looked at Adrian. His face was completely different. The controlled billionaire who could silence a room with one look was gone. He looked like a son who had just realized everything he knew about his family might have been a lie. “What exactly are you saying?” he asked. Victoria looked at him. “I’m saying your mother wasn’t the only person who knew the truth.” “My mother knew?”